Oh, Pigeon. What are we going to do with you?
For years, Mo Willems’ beloved feathered character has been trying to convince readers to let him do just about everything he probably shouldn’t. From driving a bus to staying up past his bedtime, the Pigeon certainly has a talent for getting himself into situations that require a little intervention from the person holding the book.
But now he has discovered something new.
LEGO bricks.
And apparently, he has some rather ambitious building plans.
DK+ and the LEGO Group are teaming with Mo Willems for a new interactive storybook, “Can the Pigeon Build a Bus?”, bringing the beloved children’s book character into the colorful world of LEGO for the very first time.
The upcoming book will follow the Pigeon as he discovers LEGO bricks alongside the Duckling, opening the door to an entirely new kind of adventure that invites young readers to become builders themselves.
Because this time around, reading the story is only part of the fun.
“Can the Pigeon Build a Bus?” will include actual LEGO pieces that children can use to construct an exclusive 3-in-1 model connected to the story. Rather than simply watching the Pigeon attempt his latest questionable idea, readers will have the opportunity to interact with the adventure through hands-on building.
And considering how determined this particular bird has always been to get behind the wheel of a bus, we can only imagine how excited he might be to discover he can actually build something with bricks.
The collaboration also brings together two names that have spent decades encouraging children to embrace creativity in very different ways.
Mo Willems has written and illustrated more than 70 children’s books, with over 50 New York Times bestsellers and translations spanning 26 languages. His work has earned numerous honors, including two Theodor Seuss Geisel Awards, an Eisner Award and six Emmy Awards for his writing on “Sesame Street.”
Meanwhile, LEGO has built its own legacy around encouraging children to imagine, experiment and create, often giving them the pieces they need to bring their ideas into the real world.
Combining those two approaches feels like a particularly natural pairing, especially when the character involved is already known for interacting directly with the reader.
The Pigeon’s adventures have always encouraged children to participate in the storytelling, whether they’re answering his questions, refusing his requests or trying to reason with a bird who has already decided he knows best. Introducing LEGO building into that familiar back-and-forth gives the experience another dimension, allowing children to engage with the story beyond its illustrated pages.
And the Pigeon isn’t the only one finding new adventures in LEGO’s growing literary world.
The new collaboration is part of DK+ and the LEGO Group’s expanding LEGO Fiction publishing program, which was first introduced at last year’s Frankfurt Book Fair. The range has already surpassed one million copies in its initial print run across the collection, with stories spanning illustrated middle-grade novels and early chapter books.
Among the titles leading the collection is Jeffrey Brown’s “Nikolas Nurdblok and the Lost Brick,” which will receive a sequel in October 2027. Currently carrying the working title “LEGO Nikolas Nurdblok and the Lost Brick 2,” the upcoming adventure will see Nikolas searching for building instructions before an unexpected disappearance sends the story in another direction.
The LEGO Fiction lineup will continue growing throughout 2027 with new installments of “LEGO NINJAGO Quill of Destiny,” “The Eagle of Knowledge” and “LEGO Friends Pet Rescuers Puppy Pandemonium” arriving next autumn.
Additional LEGO CITY and LEGO NINJAGO early chapter books are also planned throughout the year, alongside a new collection of LEGO 5-Minute Stories scheduled for next summer.
Taken together, the growing collection is another example of how familiar entertainment properties are finding new opportunities within children’s publishing. LEGO has always encouraged storytelling through physical play, with children creating their own characters, adventures and entire worlds one brick at a time. Now those same ideas are finding their way into traditional books, giving young readers new opportunities to explore the stories behind the builds.
And with “Can the Pigeon Build a Bus?”, that relationship is becoming even more interactive.
Children aren’t simply reading about a character discovering LEGO bricks. They’re being invited to discover, build and play alongside him, combining the familiar humor of Willems’ books with the creativity that has made LEGO a childhood staple for generations.
No publication date has been announced yet for “Can the Pigeon Build a Bus?”, but we are certainly curious to see what the Pigeon manages to create.
Although we do have one very important question.
Are we really going to let the Pigeon build a bus?
Because we all remember what happened when he wanted to drive one.
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